Fade Into The Background
by CarlaPeterLove
Summary: All he could do was smile and fade into the background.
1. The Service

**_It's me again... Yes even though in one of my other stories I mentioned that I had a crazy month of work ahead and that I might not be able to update as much. For some reason I just cannot seem to stop writing._**

 ** _Anywho this fic is loosely based on an old song that I heard recently. It would have been put with The Carter Collection but I wondered if it may have the potential for more than one chapter and that's why I've uploaded it separately._**

 ** _Let me know what you guys think of course and enjoy :)_**

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Peter Barlow knew he shouldn't be here.

He knew he wasn't invited or even welcome and yet he still went and sat at the back of the almost overcrowded room.

He was surprised to see so many guests and he hadn't expected it to be so full of people, some who he knew and some who he didn't.

Peter had chosen the very last seat, in the very last row of the church… he had chosen that particular seat so that hopefully no one would spot him, those who surrounded him did not look familiar and so he knew that he was probably safe, amongst a load of unknown faces.

The only reason he even knew about this fateful day was because his sister Tracy had slipped up. She had mentioned it by complete accident and it was only because of Peter's persistent questions that he'd found out the date, the time and the venue.

The venue was the biggest church in town and Peter couldn't believe that this place had even been agreed upon, then again he could barley believe a single thing about what was happening today.

As people began taking their seats, in the distance Peter could see his Dad, sitting down next to a family friend. He was at least five rows away but Peter still tried to hide his head, as he didn't want his Dad to see him, even though it had been so long since he'd last felt his Dad's warm embrace, too long in fact.

He knew his Dad wouldn't approved of this, in fact he knew if his Dad had any clue that he was sat just a few rows behind him, he would have got up and dragged him out of the church before it all started.

Before the music began and before the bride began to make her way down the aisle.

The bride.

The bride was someone Peter desperately wanted to see but again, he didn't want the bride to see him.

Peter had paced up and down outside for a while before making his way inside, today's weather was sublime, said to be the hottest day of the year so far and as the sun blazed onto those church steps he wondered why on earth he had even considered coming today.

He had almost decided to forget this whole thing and leave but something told him that he had to stick around.

Something told Peter that had to put himself through all of this, he had to remind himself of exactly what he had lost.

Peter had to face the fact that he messed up. He messed up bigger than he'd ever messed up in his life and now she had moved on.

She had moved on big time, she'd moved on so much so that she had gathered all of her friends and loved ones together to witness her new found happiness.

Peter should have known. He should have known all those months ago. He should have known when he got that letter saying that she had filed for divorce, that it was all over.

He signed the papers, he did everything he had to do to keep her happy, because after causing her so much pain and so much heartache, he owed her that at least.

The last time he had spoken to her, she told him that she'd moved on and that she was happy. He should have accepted it, he should have believed it instead of thinking that it was just a lie or that it was just for show. He thought that maybe it was her way of dealing with the pain, or that if she had actually found some one else, that it was nothing too serious.

Peter was sure that one day they would both be reunited and that one day they would somehow end up together.

They had to end up together... they were made for each other, every one said so.

Well that's what everyone one used to say anyway, now they probably felt a lot different but Peter had made sure he kept on telling himself that they'd get another chance someday.

Peter told himself this every day, ever since he left her side but he was now beginning to see that this way of thinking was incredibly naive and that it had got him nowhere.

He should have prepared himself for this eventuality. He should have seriously thought about the reality of this situation because now he was about to watch his worst nightmare unfold and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Standing where Peter should have been standing was Nick Tilsley, in a black suit with a silver tie and also he had the biggest, no, the smuggest smile on his face. Nick Tilsey had always been someone that Peter dispized and now Nick Tilsley was about to take away that last tiny little bit of hope that Peter had left.

Next to Nick was his cocky little brother in a co-ordinating sliver and black suit and he had the same smug smile plastered all over his face too.

The front row on the left consisted of the rest of Nick's family. His sister and her teenage daughter, His sister in law and her children, his mother and his grandmother. They were all smiling at Nick, proudly, excitedly, emotionally and with so much love that it actually made Peter feel sick.

The way Nick's family were looking at him made Peter think of the last time his family looked at him so lovingly.

It was a hell of a long time ago now and Peter knew that if his family saw him right now they would not be looking at him in such a fond way. They would look at him in shock, disappointment and they would probably be embarrassed that he even had the cheek to show his face.

The front row on the right was a little different to the one on the left, none of the bride's family were there... not really. There was Amy Barlow sat next her Dad Steve McDonald and then there was Roy Cropper, sat with a woman that Peter had never seen before. There was also someone who had even flown all the way from L.A to be here for this blessed day.

The other rows in the room were full of faces, some that Peter recognised and some that he didn't. One of the faces he recognised was the one of his young son Simon's.

It was all that Peter could do not to run over to him and hold him tight and the only reason he didn't was because he didn't want to ruin it, he couldn't ruin this day.

He couldn't spoil her chance for true happiness, not again.

There was the soft, yet sudden sound of a piano starting up and everybody quickly rose from his or her seats. Peter knew that he had to get up too, he knew that if he didn't that he would be drawing attention to himself and attention was something that he definitely didn't want.

His throat went dry as he scrambled to his feet. He could almost hear his heart pound away under his shirt as Michelle Connor passed by in a pale blue silk dress, she was holding a matching bunch of flowers and was smiling joyfully as she made her way up the aisle.

Peter knew that Michelle would have been the obvious choice for maid of honour and as she made it to the front of the aisle he knew what was going to be coming next.

His body froze and his heart might as well have stopped too as the bride came into view.

There she was.

Carla Connor, soon to be Tilsey.

The one and _only_ love of Peter Barlow's life.

She looked beautiful… no, not beautiful, heavenly.

She looked so heavenly in fact, that she almost floated down the isle.

Her light brown hair was tied, elegantly up with just a few curly tendrils delicately hanging down to frame her face. Her make up kept simple because she was such a natural beauty that she really didn't need much to make her look stunning and today she literally looked utterly breath taking.

Peter could barley draw breath as Carla began making her way forward. He swallowed hard and even though he couldn't bare the sight before him, he still couldn't bring himself to look away.

Other than on his own wedding day to Carla, this was the most magnificent Peter had ever seen her look.

Her ivory wedding gown was strapless and skin-tight until it got to the middle of her thighs where it spilled out into a stunning fish tale dress.

It truly was astonishing.

She carried a bunch of snow-white roses as she slowly but surely descended up the aisle and as he watched, Peter knew that there was no way on earth that Carla would even notice that he was sat there.

He knew this because Carla had a euphoric smile on her face, a smile that once upon a time she used to only give to him but was now showing off to the world.

Peter had missed that smile of hers the most, in the past it had always filled him with so much joy but it was now torture, made unbearable by the fact that he knew she would never look at him like that ever again.

She looked so happy, she almost let off an enchanting glow and every single person in the church had their eyes on her.

Carla's precious gaze however, was only focused on one person.

It was totally fixated on the man in the black and sliver suit and it stayed that way as she finally joined him at the far end of the aisle.

As the wedding guests all sat down, and as the old woman in front of him turned round to give him an eager grin, Peter wanted to disappear into a big black hole.

Unfortunately there were no holes to swallow him up, no way out to end all this pain and all that he could do right now was smile… and fade into the background.


	2. The Reception

He went to the reception.

It was a wonderful one.

A stunningly beautiful and elegant one, one that Peter was sure must have cost them both an arm and a leg.

He remembered their own wedding and how Carla had paid for a vast majority of it, He remembered how embarrassed and inadequate he had felt about the fact that he had practically no money and just how much it all bruised his ego.

It was then that Peter was beginning to see that Nick and Carla were starting to make a little bit of sense.

Not loads of sense but a bit more than when Peter had first heard about the two of them.

They were both successful business owners, Peter had even read in the paper that Carla had won awards for her exceptional business skills.

They were probably seen as this big power couple by the entire street and as Peter passed by a ridiculously cheesy photo that had been blown up of the two of them, he had to admit that Nick and Carla made a rather good looking couple, not as much of as good looking as he made with Carla that is, but then again Peter was slightly bias.

Anyways back to the reception... It was in held an extravagant hotel not too far away from the over the top church that had been chosen and even though it was honestly one of the most exquisite wedding receptions that Peter had ever been too, he couldn't help but think that it wasn't quite Carla.

Something about this whole thing screamed Nick Tilsey instead of Carla Connor.

As the guests all sat down at the beautifully decorated tables that had been specially set out for each of them, Peter wondered why on earth he was still doing this to himself.

Somehow he had managed to sit through the service. Well... he had made it the whole way through it without screaming out loud and spoiling the whole thing that is, and he told himself that because he had miraculously done that, the hard part was now well and truly over.

They were married now and there was absolutely nothing on this earth that Peter could do to change that fact.

He was now just another one of Carla's ex husbands and the feeling of it wounded him, more than he could have ever imagined.

He got up straight away, so that he didn't have to witness their first devastating kiss as husband and wife.

He walked right out of the church, he made himself scarce when it came time for the confetti to be thrown and for the pictures to be taken. He didn't want to be seen lingering around outside and risk being seen by anyone.

He knew he should have just gone home... well not home exactly, because right now he had no idea where home even was.

He did however, have a hotel room booked for the night.

He only booked it for tonight, not tomorrow or anything like that.

He hadn't made any plans for tomorrow, or even after the wedding in fact, he couldn't picture a future for himself anymore, almost as if he just couldn't see himself being able to continue living now that Carla and Nick were married.

Everything that happened to Peter at this point was beyond his control, he was no longer thinking rationally, no longer thinking like a sane person and that's why he foolishly made his way over to the wedding reception.

Peter waited until almost everyone had gone into the hotel and then he snuck inside the building. With each step he took, he wished that he was a stronger type of man. He wished that he'd had the strength to get up when the vicar asked said, _"Speak now or forever hold your peace."_

He wished that he could have said something to stop this hideous series of events from continuing but then he realised that keeping quiet didn't mean he was weak... it meant that he cared a hell of a lot more about Carla's happiness, than his own.

The old Peter probably would have got up and spoiled the wedding, the old Peter would have made a right old scene but after living life without Carla, he was no longer the selfish man he was before... he'd learnt his lesson, he truly had changed.

It's just a shame that it was all too little too late.

Peter miserably decided that he hadn't put himself through enough torture already, so he stuck around for a bit, he stuck around to see what kind of celebration this would turn out to be and he actually wondered if Carla would actually mange to stay sober this time because she hadn't done at her last wedding.

Peter quickly felt guilty for thinking so bitterly about Carla, for thinking so negatively about a woman who had been such a positive impact on his life and as David got up on stage and called Carla and Nick up for their first dance, Peter once again, felt his heart momentarily stop.

Nick got up and took Carla by the left hand, where she not only had a brand new, white gold band on her wedding finger, but also where the huge diamond engagement ring that Nick had surprised her with on Valentines day, sparkled.

They blissfully made their way over to the fairy lit, dance floor as an Ed Sheeran song started playing from the speakers. They kissed tenderly and then they began to sway slowly, rhythmically, perfectly in sync with each other to the specially chosen song.

Peter, who had been tormenting himself by watching them as they danced right up against each other, couldn't quite get his head around this slightly obvious and slightly cheesy song choice.

It was a beautiful song, a romantic song and the kind of song that Peter was sure that Carla probably liked but wouldn't have chosen for her first dance with her new husband.

He was sure that it must have been Nick's choice of song. It had to be his choice.

Maybe... everything was Nick's choice, the church, the music, the odd catering choices, the everything.

It was easy for Peter to think of things like this.

It was easy for him to think like Carla hadn't been the one to have agreed to any of the bizarre things that were happening at her own wedding.

It was easier to think like that than to think that she had changed... that she had changed for Nick or because of Nick.

The truth about it all was that Carla and Nick had planned this day together and that she was so happy that she put up with all of Nick's ideas, even the ones that she wasn't so keen on, because that's what you did when you were married, compromise.

There were speeches made, funny ones and not so funny ones and even though there were so many people in the reception that knew who Peter was, he was able to remain hidden because no one could take their eyes off of the elated couple.

Even Peter couldn't tear away his gaze… not even for a second.

It felt like he was screaming but not one person in the room could hear him.

He watched as the smile on Carla's face never faded, not even once and of course neither did the one on Nick's face.

Peter smiled too. He smiled because he had to. If he didn't then the people who did see him would be wondering why he hadn't smiled yet and then they would begin to think something was up, they'd go to their friends or their family and say,

 _"Who's that miserable guy in the back? the one in the corner in the white shirt and black jacket, the one who looks as if he really shouldn't be here."_

Eventually someone would catch on, someone would see him and then that would be it, he wouldn't be able to hide anymore.

He wouldn't be able to hide the terrorising pain that he felt buried deep inside him. He wouldn't be able to stop the tears from falling and to hide the fact that this day, truly had broken him.

The most horrifying part of this entire day... the thing that made Peter truly feel like his world had come to a complete stand still, was that this... was ultimately all his fault.

The only person he had to blame for this impending sorrow was himself.

One of the hardest pains to cure is the one that you've caused yourself.

Peter knew of some ways that he could try to cure this pain and of course he was at a wedding which meant that there was endless amounts of alcohol being offered, not just to him but to all the guests. Alcohol that Peter had been so tempted to touch since he found out about the wedding yet had somehow managed to avoid it... until now.

He wretchedly accepted a glass of champagne and told himself that it was to keep up with the illusion that he was just an ordinary wedding guest.

He didn't dare drink it at first, even though he really wanted to, even though he felt like his pathetic life was well and truly over.

He didn't drink it, instead he watched as Simon sat with his cousin Amy and as they laughed about something they had obviously seen in the distance. He watched as his old mate Steve danced blissfully with his wife Michelle and then he couldn't help but revert his gaze back to Carla and Nick as they continued to kiss their way through another stupid love song.

He thought about what would happen next for them. He decided if he couldn't picture what was going to happen in his own life, he might as well torment himself with thoughts of Carla and Nick's instead.

They'd go on honeymoon tonight, somewhere lush and expensive and then they'd probably come back to Weatherfield even more happy than they were when they left.

Then one day they would probably have kids. Cute kids, maybe a boy and girl and those kids would have every thing they ever wanted in life because they had two loving parents with businesses and a rock solid relationship.

As Peter continued to picture Carla and Nick's "perfect" future together, he slowly felt that last smidgen of willpower that he'd had left inside him, disappear.

He shouldn't have stopped watching Simon, because Simon was the only thing that could have stopped him from what he did next.

He closed his eyes and swallowed down that glass of deadly champagne.

He wasn't exactly sure how long he had sat there with the toxic taste of the drink spreading over his tongue, but eventually, as everyone around him got up to take part in a huge group dance, he knew that he had to leave.

He had to end this.

Peter got up as a waiter was walking past, carrying a bottle of champagne and refilling the empty glasses of the guests, who were gushing about this being the best wedding they'd ever been too.

Peter reached out and took the bottle straight off the waiter. He decided that if he was going to drink himself into a deep hole of depression, then it might as well be on the good stuff.

A doctor had once told Peter that the next drink could kill him and as he looked down at the expensive bottle of booze he had just snatched off the unsuspecting waiter, he was pleased that at least he would go out in style.

He took a large sip of the champagne and then crashed directly into someone.

He crashed into the worst kind of person that he could have crashed into.

A gossip, a loudmouth, someone who would never keep the news of Peter's attendance to the wedding to herself.

Her name was Beth Sutherland and she worked for Carla.

Her jaw dropped when she saw who was stood in front of her.

Peter mercilessly clutched onto that bottle of champagne as if his life depended on it and he knew there and then that he needed to get out and fast.

He turned around and changed his direction, he knew that there was more than one exit and that if he didn't get out now, everything would fall apart.

He ducked past a few more familiar faces, towards the door and had almost got out of there when he caught her eye.

She had left Nick with his Mother and had been on her way to the toilet when she saw him.

The man who she had once called the love of her life, there at her wedding to someone else.

She blinked, as if she thought that she had imagined it but then as Peter's appearance refused to disappear, it became all too clear to Carla that he really was there.

Stunned and almost haunted by his presence, she held his gaze as he stopped walking.

People had realised that the bride's stance had suddenly changed, that her green eyes weren't as bright and that her ecstatic smile had somehow dwindled. They followed her gaze over to her ex husband and were all equally as surprised to see him stood there.

Peter didn't know what to do next.

He could just walk right out of there, run in fact and leave Carla and everyone else wondering what the hell he was playing at or he could put down the dreaded bottle of alcohol, apologise for showing up unannounced, maybe say congratulations and then maybe everyone could just leave him to it, maybe then he could really try to move on.

All that Peter knew was this, there was no going back and no fading into the background this time.

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 ** _Thanks to those who reviewed, faved and followed this so far._**

 ** _I shall really try to update Everything Has Changed/Back To Life at some point this week but as I mentioned in DLG, I'm having a really rough time of it lately and am struggling to find the time to do anything other than worry and work. Anyways seeing as this was already written and proof read I thought I'd update it for you._**

 ** _Please review and let me know your thoughts._**


	3. The Reception Part Two

_**Thanks to the reviewers so far...**_

* * *

No one spoke for a moment.

Not Peter, not Carla… no one.

Carla couldn't speak even if she had wanted to.

Her throat had gone completely dry, she felt as if she was paralysed, rooted to the dance floor and unable to do anything other than stare ahead.

To stare at the man she honestly thought she'd never see again.

It might have been niave for her to think that she would never see Peter again, to think that he was completely out of her life, now that they were divorced but that was the way she had been thinking… that was what she had been betting on, never seeing Peter Barlow ever again.

All that was heard, was the music that the DJ was obliviously playing and as more and more people started to realise why Carla had come to a stand still, when they realised just who had gate crashed the wedding, the quieter it got.

Peter swallowed hard as people began whispering and he knew that he had totally just destroyed Carla's special day.

Even if he made a dignified exit from the wedding, Peter knew it would still be famous for the fact that he had shown up uninvited instead of the reasons it should have been famous for.

It should have been known for Carla and Nick's undying love for each other, not for Peter's sudden and uninvited appearance.

Peter could see that everyone was feeling desperately sorry for him and that the looks of pity on their face were aimed at him.

He decided that he should try and hold onto that last smidgen of pride that he had left and stay as calm as possible.

He went to say something when the groom had stopped talking to his Mum and had suddenly realised what everyone was staring at.

It was Nick's turn to look utterly shell shocked this time.

His first and only thought was Carla. He immediately scanned the crowd to find her.

When he realised that she hadn't made it to the toilet and that she was stood in a trance like state, he dashed over to her and took her by the hand.

"Carla…" He said, but she didn't hear him, she was still in a daze, transfixed by Peter's presence at her wedding.

At first Nick wanted to know what the hell Peter Barlow was playing at, turning up and so obviously trying to ruin his wedding. He didn't stop to think how Peter was probably feeling. He didn't realise that Peter had truly meant no harm... all he knew was that Peter had to go.

How dare Peter taint his and Carla's special day?

He had no right to be there.

He wasn't welcome.

He wasn't even invited.

Nick was about to tell Peter all this when he heard…

"Dad!"

It had come from way across the room and sent everyone's heads spinning towards the direction that they had heard it from.

It came from Simon.

Simon had seen everyone look startled and he had seen Carla freeze on the spot. He wondered why she had looked so sad given how happy she had been before hand. He got up and followed her gaze over to his Dad and when he realised that his Dad truly was a few metres away from him, he flew towards him.

"Dad!"

They embraced in a long and loving hug. One that they hadn't shared in the longest time, one that made Peter feel that all of the pain and heartache he had put himself through today was totally worth it.

The Bride, The Groom and all of the wedding guests looked on and they knew that for now, this was a father and son moment.

It was a moment not to be interrupted by anyone so they looked away and pretended not to make it too obvious that they were still amazed at Peter's nerve.

The people who didn't know who Peter was eventually assumed that he must have been the bride's ex.

They assumed this because it was written all over Carla's face. They saw the look of anguish, the look of repressed memories and they saw just how astonished she was to see him.

Everyone else at the wedding of course, knew exactly who Peter was. They knew all about his history with Carla and with Nick for that matter and they just knew that if Peter hung around for too long, something big was bound to happen.

But for now, even Nick had to admit that he felt a lump in his throat as the estranged father and son embraced.

Simon still meant a hell of a lot to Nick and Carla, he was their Step Son and the sight of him almost crying in his father's arms meant that they didn't do anything that could spoil it.

They just stood and watched, just like everyone else in the room.

"Hi Son." Peter beamed, for the first time that day. In fact it was probably for the first time in months that Peter had truly felt a bit of happiness.

Unfortunately for him this happiness was short lived.

Simon sniffed, overcome with emotions and then he sniffed again.

He stared up at his Dad and then pulled away from him suddenly.

You see, a loved one can always tell when their alcoholic Mother, Father, girlfriend or boyfriend has had a drink.

It's something that they learn very early on.

It might be from a certain look in the eyes, it might be in the way that their loved one is breathing slower or faster than they normally do, or it might just be in the way that they are standing but they can always tell when their loved one has had a drink.

This time was no exception for Simon Barlow.

"Have you been drinking?" Simon asked although just by looking into his Dad's eyes he could tell that he had been. He then spotted the bottle of champagne that he had in one of his hands.

"Si…" Peter started, putting the champagne down on a nearby table and moving towards Simon.

"How could you?" Simon began, shoving his Dad hard in the chest, with tears in his almost fourteen-year-old eyes, "You're not meant to drink, it makes you ill… You could die!"

"Si… I'm sorry. It was just the one." Peter said, hating that he was now having such a public confrontation with his son, especially after not seeing him for so long.

Their reunion wasn't supposed to happen like this.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

Once again Peter had ruined something that could have been so precious.

"It's never just the one with you Dad!" Simon cried, "What are you even doing ere?"

Peter didn't have time to answer Simon, who followed his gaze over to where Carla was stood.

"Of course!" Simon said shaking his head in disbelief but at himself rather than at his Dad. He felt foolish for believing that his Dad had actually come to see him. "I should ave known you weren't ere to see me."

"Simon it's not like that." Peter began but Simon refused to let his Dad continue.

"Don't bother!" He snapped, not caring that the entire wedding was fixated on his quarrel with his Dad. "You shouldn't ave come ere! Take a look around Dad She doesn't want you! She's happy! She's moved on… and so ave I, I hate you!" Simon then turned around and stormed right out of the room.

"Nice one Peter." Simon's mother Leanne said, shaking her head as she ran after her distraught son.

Simon's words echoed through Peter's brain as the DJ tried to encourage the guests to start dancing again. Some of them did but the rest all stayed still, they all waited with bated breath to see what was going to happen next.

Peter couldn't stand any of this, this pain, this embarrassment, this complete and utter horror story that was unfolding before his eyes. He loathed the fact that he had come to his wedding today and went to walk after Leanne and Simon when he heard Nick say,

"No… you really should go Peter."

Nick's tone of voice was soft, slow, almost patronising in fact and Peter absolutely hated it. Michelle was now by Carla's side, standing right next to her and holding tightly onto her hand.

"Look Nick..." Peter began but Nick was also someone who refused to let Peter continue speaking.

"No _you_ look." Nick said, stepping towards Peter in a way, which made everyone slightly gasp. "You ave no place here. You've already caused quite the scene and I will not ave you ruin this night anymore than you ave already."

"Carla…" Peter said, her name coming out hoarsely because he hadn't said it in so long.

She finally moved. She responded by stepping backwards and taking in a deep breath.

It seemed that hearing Peter call out her name, had an alarming affect on her.

One that she hadn't been expecting.

One that Nick noticed when he looked at her and one that made them both very nervous about what was to come.

"Don't you dare." Nick said as if the mere sight of Peter had threatened everything he had with Carla. As if one simple conversation could ruin everything. "Leave her alone."

"I want to speak to her." Peter said, moving closer, deciding he might as well take as many risks as he can because what else did he have to lose?

"Well she doesn't want to speak to you." Nick replied.

"Oh and you know that do ya?" Peter answered back, hating Nick with every breath and step that he took.

"Yeah." Nick said, but everyone could see that Nick wasn't sure.

"Why not let the lady speak for herself?" Peter said, looking at Carla now and not Nick.

"Carla…" Michelle said, tilting her head and looking at her friend in the eye. "Do you want to speak to Peter?"

Carla didn't say or do anything at first. She was mentally running through every single memory with Peter, every special moment, every kiss, every hug and part of her really did want to speak to him, too see what he had to say and to respect the fact that they once shared a life together.

The thing is… Carla also had to respect her new husband. She had to honour him and show him that she truly loved him now and not Peter.

She knew what would happen if she agreed to talk to Peter, she knew what it would do to Nick and that was why she felt her head shaking.

That was why she said a very quiet and almost inaudible…

"No."

Nick looked unashamedly smug and Peter looked devastated.

He was totally gutted that Carla didn't want to speak to him, that she didn't want to given him a chance to explain but he knew that it was a long shot and even though he wasn't sure how much longer he could go on… he tried very hard to keep himself standing upright.

"There's your answer." Michelle said sympathetically, she was still holding onto Carla's hand and pulled it gently so that she could lead her away, to try and take her somewhere where everyone wasn't watching her every move.

Peter watched her as she left the room and as she left the room, with her eyes focused on him, it was like their devastating gaze was being torn away from each other.

"I think that's your cue to leave." Nick said before turning round to walk away from Peter.

"And if I don't?" Peter said, not caring about ruining anything now he had been seen and especially now that Carla and Simon had left the room.

"I'm warning you…." Nick turned around and gave Peter a dark look as his brother David came rushing over.

"Nick, don't… he's not worth it." David said, but Nick was angry, he was livid and he was not going to let Peter ruin anymore of his wedding night.

Peter, also wasn't about to let any of this lie, it was once again him VS Nick and then he realised that it was too late…

Nick had already won.

Peter went to speak but his arm was suddenly taken hold of,

"Peter what on earth?" His Dad began. Pulling him aside, into the corner that he had been hiding in for most of the reception.

The wedding slowly tried to get back on track as Peter and Ken began to talk.

"Hi Dad." Peter said pathetically, because he had no idea what else to say to him. Ken shook his head, sighed and then threw his arms around his son, just like Simon had done earlier.

"Peter… why would you do this?" He asked, not able to understand his son's behaviour tonight.

"I don't know… I honestly… I just don't know." Peter said, shaking his head at his own foolishness. "I should probably find Simon."

"No Peter." Ken said firmly, "You should go. Leanne's got Simon, he'll be fine."

"He needs me Dad." Peter said, his voice hoarse once more and his body starting to shake from the champagne that was successfully making its way into his blood stream.

"No he needs time." Ken said to Peter, who was about to start speaking again when Michelle re-appeared, she was making her way towards him and was ignoring Nick who was walking behind her and saying something,

"Look Nick I'm just doing what the bride has asked… that is my job as the maid of honour after all." Michelle sighed.

Eventually Nick took the hint and went back over to his brother with a defeated look on his face.

Michelle stopped in front of Peter and Ken and folded her arms.

"You like to pick your moments don't ya Peter?" She said, feeling terribly sorry for him, even after everything that he had done to her best friend.

"Where is she?" Peter asked, Michelle shook her head at him and bit her lip.

"Toilets… She sent me… she wants to know why you're ere." She said awkwardly.

"I don't know…" Peter began, still unable to come up with a concrete reason for being here today "but what I do know… is that I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Oh come on Peter… you turn up ere after years and you say that you didn't mean any trouble?" Michelle sighed, Ken nodded at him in agreement with Michelle and Peter knew that his time at this wedding really had to come to an end.

He also knew that he was really struggling not to pick that bottle of champagne again and down it.

Today had well and truly beaten him.

"How is she?" Peter asked.

"Well she's pretty shocked… we all are." Michelle said.

"I honestly didn't want any of this, I wanted to just walk out without being seen." Peter said, hating himself for what he had done to Carla today.

"I believe you." Michelle nodded, because she really did believe Peter.

He swallowed hard and then decided that now was probably the right time for him to leave.

There was no way he could stay now… no way that he could fade into the background this time.

"Michelle… tell Carla I'm sorry. I know that she won't believe me but Please… tell her that. Tell her I said congratulations and… I'm just… so sorry." Peter said.

"I'll tell her." Michelle nodded.

Michelle was a woman of her word and had gone to the ladies toilets to find Carla, who was biting her nails and pacing back and forth.

"What did he say?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Congratulations." Michelle said quietly.

She had said it so quietly that Carla had thought that she had misheard.

"What?"

"He said Congratulations and that he's… sorry." Michelle shrugged, walking over to Carla and standing in front of her.

"Sorry? He's sorry?" Carla said.

There was then a strange silence between the two best friends, one that went on for a few seconds before Carla shook her head and said,

"I ave to speak to him."

"What?" Michelle exclaimed, "You said that you didn't want to."

"I know I did but I... Chelle I ave to speak to him." Carla said, almost in a state of panic now as she flew out of the bathroom.

After everything... She couldn't leave things with Peter this way.

Michelle ran after Carla as she hurried back into the reception, Nick was ranting to his brother and mother and didn't notice his bride's hasty return.

"Where is he?" She asked scanning the room for Peter, Michelle looked around too and then shook her head, "Chelle where is he?" She cried.

"I don't know babe." Michelle said as Ken came over to them both.

"Carla I am so sorry, Peter won't be ruining much more of your night, he has just left." Ken said.

"No!" Carla said, shaking her head and running towards the exit.

She ran through the lobby, out of the building and into the street, in her Ivory wedding gown.

"Peter!" She called, her voice breaking because she knew she was too late.

Peter had gone.


	4. The Reception Part Three

Michelle ran as fast as she could outside to find Carla stood on the gravel outside the hotel.

She gazed around but Peter truly was nowhere to be seen.

He had definitely gone.

"Carla..." Michelle said, edging towards her ever so gently, as if moving too fast would shock her or send her into another state of panic.

"He's gone." Carla said quietly, as if she couldn't believe it. She wanted to cry but she simply couldn't, the tears just would not come.

"Maybe it's for the best..." Michelle began, taking Carla by the hand and trying to bring her back inside.

The once hottest day of the year was now a windy one, almost cold in fact. Carla shivered as she was walked back towards the hotel doors but Michelle couldn't be sure if the goosebumps on Carla's arms were due to the weather or due to Peter.

Carla stopped walking when they were half way and took one last look at the dark streets ahead of her, even though she knew that Peter was long gone.

She wondered where he went, where he was staying tonight and where he lived but she knew that she was probably never going to get the answers that she so suddenly craved.

"Come on Carla." Michelle said, tugging on her arm gently, knowing just how awful this predicament was for Carla to be in.

Carla slowly followed Michelle back inside and shook her head as they walked through the hotel lobby and back towards the reception room.

"What was I thinking?" she exclaimed, stopping in her tracks again and forcing Michelle to turn around and look at her. "Honestly Michelle... That man had me running out of me own wedding... I don't know what came over me? It was like my legs were moving of their own accord or summat... How does he do that? How can he still do that?" She asked angrily, her voice breaking at the idea of Peter still having so much control of her body.

After years apart and after a divorce, he was still able to spark something inside her, something that she just couldn't seem to control. She truly didn't have a clue how Peter Barlow was still lurking right under her skin and she desperately needed Michelle to try and explain it to her.

"I don't know..." Michelle said, shaking her head hopelessly at Carla and hoping that Nick hadn't noticed how she had run out so desperately after Carla, who was doing her own running, running that she shouldn't have been doing... running after her ex husband. Michelle really hoped that Nick was still ranting about Peter to anyone who listened, she hoped he hadn't gone looking for Carla and that he was oblivious to this entire situation.

"It shouldn't be like this Michelle, I should be able to see him and not give a toss... I should be laughing in his face. I shouldn't be replaying our relationship over and over again in my head and then running after him like that."

"You were in shock..." Michelle began, "Honestly Carla, don't beat your self up over this."

"How dare he!" Carla said ignoring what Michelle was saying and getting angrier by the second. Her breathing had become reckless and her voice was now raised. "How dare he turn up ere like that and make me feel like I had to speak to him?"

Michelle still didn't know what to say to her best friend but it was okay because Carla's senses were slowly returning.

"Y'know what... It's a good thing he's gone." She said with a nod.

"Is it?" Michelle asked cautiously unsure if Carla really felt that way about Peter's sudden disappearance.

"Yes! I'm glad I didn't see him... In fact if I ever see that man again anytime soon I'm gonna beat the shit out of him."

Michelle tried her hardest not to laugh at what Carla had just said, it wasn't a funny situation in fact it was a ridiculously sad and upsetting one at that but there was something in the way that Carla had just spoken that made her snigger and Michelle's reaction almost had Carla laughing too.

"It's not funny Michelle." She said shaking her head and taking a deep breath. "He's totally ruined everything."

"No Carla... He hasn't." Michelle said, taking her hand and looking at her best friend straight in the eye. "You love Nick and he loves you. Carla he loves you more than anyone else in this entire world. Now Peter's appearance may have rocked the boat a little but so what? I've seen worse things happen at weddings believe me?" Michelle reached over and gave Carla's arm a sympathetic rub and smiled at her encouragingly.

"Why did I run after him like that Chelle? Why didn't I just go back in there? I mean what's Nick gonna think?" Carla asked, feeling terrible for letting Peter destroy what was meant to be the best day of her life.

"I told Nick you were in the toilets and that you needed some time to your self... Carla Nick probably doesn't even know about any of this." Michelle said, sure that if Nick had noticed Carla's sudden absence, then he would probably have been out there looking for her right now.

"D'ya really think so?" Carla said sniffing and craning her neck so that she could see into the reception hall. Nick was stood talking to Steve and David, he had a genuine look of worry on his handsome face.

One that said he was frightened about what Carla was going to do. It was as if he actually thought that she would be regretting their wedding, as if he thought she was in those toilets finding away to break up with him or something.

Carla hated seeing that look on her new husband's face. She knew that she needed to go and fix it.

She needed to go and make him realise that she was in this relationship for keeps. That he was who she loved and no one else.

"You're right... He's only spoilt the wedding up until now... The rest is up to Me n Nick right?" Carla said bravely, stepping forward and walking back into the reception hall.

She wasn't going to dwell on Peter Barlow anymore.

She wasn't even going to think about him anymore, she was going to push him back into the very darkest corner of her mind and leave him there, just like she had done when he left weatherfield.

She wasn't going to let him do this to her again... she wasn't going to let him win.

The wedding guests watched as she entered the room, they watched as she gingerly walked over to Nick. Steve and David made a quick getaway as she smiled softly and said to Nick,

"Now what ave you got that depressed look on your face for eh?"

"I was worried about you..." Nick began, taking Carla by the hand just like Michelle had done and looking at her devotedly.

"Me? Oh don't worry about me... I'm fine." Carla said with a nod, pulling Nick's hand up to her mouth and kissing it softly.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked, knowing that Peter's appearance must have made Carla feel something.

Hate, love, regret, anger, sadness, pity.

Nick wasn't dense, he knew full well how much Carla had loved Peter, everyone did. He knew that one day Peter would probably return to try and stir up trouble, he just never dreamed it would have been on his wedding day.

"I'm sure… How could I not be? I've married the man that I love." Carla said, smiling at Nick genuinely. "I know that we weren't expecting what just happened to happen but it has and it's too late to do anything about it. Yes, I'd be lying if I said it didn't knock me for six and yes I took a little moment out there to think about things but now… Nick now I'm ere standing in front of you and I am telling you that I love you... you and no one else and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

At first Nick couldn't be sure how Carla was feeling, when she'd first come back into the room he was sure she was about to end it there an then but as she smiled at him again, properly with her teeth showing and her eyes gleaming, he knew one thing for sure… She was telling him the truth.

She was still there, she loved him and no matter what dramas were to come their way… Carla's Love was enough for Nick to forget what had just happened at his wedding and try to move on.

"So… Are ya gonna come n dance with me?" Carla asked, kissing Nick lovingly and pulling him back towards the dance floor with her as an old Mariah Carey song started playing.

"It doesn't quite look like I ave a choice." Nick chuckled as Carla put her arms around his neck and gazed deep into his eyes.

They swayed together and kissed their way through more and more romantic songs and the wedding slowly but surely got back to normal.

Peter Barlow was of course lingering in the back of everyone's minds but as Carla and Nick almost returned to the blissfully happy couple that they had been before seeing Peter, it was clear for all to see, that Carla and Nick were probably going to be alright.

It was around eleven pm when Nick and Carla parted ways for a bit.

Nick was dancing with his Mum whilst Carla was talking to Roy. She was halfway through a sentence when she spotted Simon sat at his table.

He had his head in his hands and he was all alone.

He looked utterly miserable, so miserable that Carla left Roy and walked hesitantly over to him.

"You alright Si?" She asked, even though she knew he probably wasn't alright. She felt totally foolish but she just didn't quite know how to approach the situation.

"What do you think?" Simon rolled his eyes at her and then he looked apologetic. He shook his head at his rudeness and then said, "Sorry Carla."

She shook her head sympathetically and then sat down on the chair next to him.

"You don't ave to apologise... It were a silly question really... Of course you're not alright." She watched as the fourteen year old next to her suddenly looked so young again.

He didn't look like the confident teenager who had been chatting up one of the teenage girls who had also been invited to the wedding.

The wretched look on his face reminded Carla of how he used to look at her when he was younger.

When she had first got with Peter and when he hated her. She swallowed and out of not knowing what else to say to the boy she said,

"D'ya want me to leave you alone?"

"No." Simon said instantly, surprising Carla and then saying, "I'm sorry for earlier... All that shouting I did, I probably ruined your wedding didn't I?"

Carla shook her head adamantly at Simon and moved her chair even closer to his.

She hated the fact that he was sat there, apologising for his father's foolish idea to come to her wedding. He was just a kid, he should have been enjoying himself not feeling guilty.

"Don't you dare apologise Simon Barlow." She said, "You didn't ruin my wedding... No one did."

"Me Dad did..."

"No... he didn't." Carla assured although she wasn't sure if she was assuring Simon or herself.

"I hate him." Simon said, sitting upright and now looking a little more like his normal surly self.

"Simon..." Carla began.

"No Carla... Don't try and change my mind about this... I really do hate him... He can come all the way ere on your wedding day but not any other time... I mean, Where was he at Christmas eh? Where was he on my birthday? The man is selfish and I never want to see him again."

Carla shook her head once more. After everything that had gone on she was still unable to allow Simon to talk this way.

The look of anger on his face actually wounded Carla more than she could have ever imagined.

"Simon… I know that you probably think that your Dad doesn't care…" She began,

"He doesn't!" Simon cried, "All he cares about is himself!"

"Please stop it Simon…" Carla sniffed and it was then when Simon realised just how sad his words were making her.

"I'm… sorry." Simon said, his tone of voice now gentle instead of harsh.

"What did I tell you about apologising eh?" Carla said trying to calm herself down again because she didn't want people to see her upset. They would get Nick and then he would wonder why Simon's hurt feelings towards his Dad, had upset her so.

Nick wouldn't understand that whilst she was married to him, a piece of her heart still belonged to Peter and to hear Simon talk about him in such a negative way made her ache inside.

"Sorry." Simon said but he was half smirking at Carla now, he moved closer to her, so that they were practically on the same chair and then bit his lip. "Why did me Dad come ere? What was he thinking?"

"I don't know…" Carla sighed "but what I do know is that your Dad does care about you… He just doesn't show it how he should." Simon didn't look like he believed Carla, he just shrugged which made her continue. "Si... just because he's not around don't think that you are not on his mind every second of every day. When we went to L.A that time… He didn't stop thinking about you, every chance he got he told folk about you and he was so proud to call you his son."

"Really?" Simon asked, Carla nodded at him and took his hand.

"Really. I know it sounds weird but only reason he isn't ere is because he is trying to be a better father to you." Carla explained.

There was a slight silence for a while.

One where Carla and Simon just held hands, almost united with their thoughts about Peter.

"Carla... I know why me Dad isn't ere…" Simon began, "Being here makes him want to drink… He had a drink today Carla… I saw it in his eyes and I could smell it on him when I hugged him."

Carla swallowed hard at the news that Peter had obviously had a drink. She didn't know what to say to Simon and he knew it. The idea of Peter being drunk somewhere now haunted her mind.

"I know you don't need this today… I just… I hope that he's not gone somewhere and started drinking properly again." Simon said apologetically and worriedly at the same time.

"Me too…" Carla sighed, feeling useless, unable to think of the right things to say to her step son. She squeezed Simon's hand gently as Leanne came over to her and Simon and said,

"You ready to go Si?"

Simon looked at Carla who gave him a sad smile and nodded.

"Err yeah." Simon said, getting up off his chair and letting go of Carla's hand.

"Thanks for coming." Carla said, "I hope you both had a good time."

"We did." Leanne said although Carla could tell that she was finding it hard not to mention Peter.

"Bye Carla." Simon said, throwing his arms around Carla so suddenly that she almost toppled over.

"Bye Simon." She said with a smile, even though the overwhelming feeling of her wanting to cry had suddenly come flooding back to her.

"Ave a good honeymoon won't ya." Leanne said smiling at Carla as encouragingly as she could given the fact that she was now married to her ex. Carla nodded at her as they walked away and when she glanced at Nick she saw that he was at the bar, happily sharing a conversation with his Gran and Bethany.

She was about to bury those thoughts she had about Peter and his drinking deep inside because he truly wasn't her problem anymore, when the Sam Smith song that had been playing ended.

The song that played next was Video Games by Lana Del Rey.

It stopped Carla in her tracks and once again she felt like she couldn't move.

The first verse passed by and Carla just stood still on the spot. She felt her eyes prick with tears and her throat become dry but she didn't let it show, she didn't let a single tear drop down her cheek.

The people around her didn't get it, they just carried on eating and drinking as the song echoed through the reception hall.

They didn't understand the significance of the song, the didn't understand how much it meant to Carla, how much it reminded her of Peter and they didn't understand just how much she wanted to scream out loud.

She knew she had to leave the room, she had to go before she couldn't hold it in any longer and someone could see how distressed she was.

She didn't want Nick to see her, she didn't want him to ask why this song made her breath so rapidly and she didn't want to explain to him or anyone what Video Games meant to her… Or what it meant to Peter.

 _"It's you, it's you, it's all for you, everything I do, I tell you all the time, Heaven is a place on earth with you…"_

As the words echoed through the reception room, Carla felt like they were echoing right through her head. She forced her legs to get back to work and to carry her out of the reception hall and back towards the toilets.

Memories of the early days in her relationship with Peter filled her mind as she crashed through the doors to the ladies.

Visions of them both lying on the sofa in each others arms in silence whilst listening to music and not caring about anything else in the word circled her brain and it was now, now that she was all alone... that she finally let the tears begin to fall.


	5. The Wedding Night

_**This is the penultimate chapter... enjoy... if you can ha ha.**_

* * *

If you would have told Carla Tilsley earlier on in the day that she would have been tossing and turning on her wedding night, there is no way on this earth that she would have believed you but that was how she was spending it.

She should have been sleeping soundly or if she was awake... she should have been in the warmth of Nick's arms.

She also wouldn't have believed that one song could have changed so much.

She hadn't spent too long in the bathroom crying. She only stayed in there until Video Games had finished. Those four minutes and forty six seconds were the longest of her life.

She knew she had to go back in once the song was over. She knew she had to make sure she wasn't gone long enough so that people had noticed she was missing.

She also knew she had to make sure that she didn't mess up her make up too much and make it obvious that she was in tears over a song that reminded her ridiculously of her ex husband.

Before leaving the bathroom, She wiped her eyes and looked in the mirror to make sure she looked as picture perfect as she had done before seeing Peter. Her eyes were a little red but she had hoped that no one would notice. She tucked a curly tendril of hair behind her ear and decided that she needed to get this show on the road but before she left the bathroom she made a promise to herself.

The promise she made was that she would not cry, sigh or even think about Peter Barlow ever again... well at least for tonight anyway.

Carla headed back into her wedding reception confidently and she truly believed that her promise to herself would be kept.

She immediately went to find Nick who was now talking to his Grandmother. She slid her hands in front of his eyes with a cheeky,

"Guess who?" and then she dragged Nick away to dance. They mingled, they chatted, they laughed and kissed.

They did everything a bride and groom were supposed to do at their wedding and when the time came for them to get fed up they left.

They blissfully went up to their honeymoon suite, which was on the top floor and they spent hours caressing each others bodies, showing just how much they loved one another and Carla didn't think about Peter once.

Well... not until she suddenly woke up in a cold sweat at around three in the morning. She breathed heavily as beads of sweat ran down her head and as she sat up she couldn't figure out what went wrong. She shivered as she lay in bed and as she was still wearing nothing, she climbed out of bed to put on a white silk dressing gown that Michelle had bought her as a cheeky wedding gift and then sat on a chair that was placed next to a very large square window.

She gazed out of it as she thought about the fact that she hadn't actually dreamed.

There were no visions that suddenly made her body jerk, no subconscious memories that made her feel short of breath and unable to move.

The last thing she remembered was peacefully falling asleep next to Nick, so she wasn't sure exactly what it was that awoke her at first but as she smiled lovingly over at her new husband, who was flat on his back in a deep deep slumber, she was suddenly and horribly reminded of how she had spent her last wedding night.

She remembered how much fun it had been at first, how proud she had been and how in love she had been.

She then remembered how drunk she had gotten and how she been dragged up to her room, only to pass out in her ivory dress.

She tried her hardest not to remember what happened next.

She tried to remember what he had done.

She tried not to let the image of Peter and Tina enter her mind but it did.

The thought of what occurred that cold night on December fourth, made Carla feel physically sick and it wasn't long before she had to run into the bathroom with the fear of actually being sick.

She bent down and sat on the bathroom floor next to the toilet and hoped that this feeling would go away.

She hoped that this was a just a wobble and that in a minute she would be able to get up and join Nick back in bed.

She hoped that this would be the last time she would think about Peter Barlow in a long time and she hoped she would be able to get past this gut wrenching feeling that she wasn't over him.

She hoped that she would be able to get past the fact that nothing would ever come close to the way that she had felt about Peter.

She tried to focus on the pain that her heart had gotten so familiar to without him and how Nick had been the one to ease that pain and eventually make it go away for good.

Carla shook her head as she sat in a heap on the tiled floor of the hotel bathroom. She desperately wished that she hadn't seen Peter tonight, that he hadn't the nerve to show up uninvited to her wedding and spoilt everything.

She still couldn't understand his motives. She still couldn't work out just why he was even there.

The fact that he had just kept quiet...

The fact that he tried to sneak out without even talking to her... none of it made sense.

If he had have got up and screamed that he wanted her back... then she could have understood it.

If he had of made a real scene and wrecked the ceremony... then maybe she would have felt differently.

Maybe then the look on his tortured face wouldn't have suddenly become etched to her memory.

The more Carla thought about it the more she realised that nothing about Peter's appearance tonight made sense.

She spent a while in the bathroom, making sure that she definitely wasn't going to throw up and when she was as sure as she could be that she was okay, she walked out and sat back down on the bed with Nick.

He was still sleeping serenely... it seemed that for Nick... ignorance was pure bliss.

She wondered about maybe waking him. She thought about telling him about how she was feeling but for the first time since she had been with Nick, Carla couldn't tell him the truth.

She couldn't tell Nick that Peter was still on her mind.

She couldn't tell Nick that she had run out of the reception to speak to Peter and then that she had ran off to cry hysterically in the bathroom just because of one simple song.

She had to get up because she was scared that her sobbing was going to wake Nick up. She went back into the bathroom and took her phone with her.

It broke her heart that she felt like she couldn't talk to Nick, it made her feel unworthy, angry, bitter and she knew that even though it was very late, she just had to talk to someone about this.

She closed her bathroom door and took as deep breath as she scrolled through her contact list and thought about who she should text.

The different names of everyone in that list, blurred into one as a tear fell down her cheek and landed onto the screen of her phone.

She sniffed hard and wiped the tear away as she sat down on the edge of the bath.

She still couldn't comprehend how her wedding night had ended up like this and she knew that there was only one person who could help her to.

She didn't know that this one person was wide awake him self and he was thinking about her too…

* * *

When Peter had first got to his hotel room he was a complete and utter wreck.

He slammed the door behind him and practically threw his phone down onto a cabinet that was nearby. He was in total self destruction mode as the champagne he had downed earlier was steadily working right through his bloodstream.

Some alcoholics could have the one, they could control themselves and having one drink just simply couldn't harm them but unfortunately Peter was not one of those alcoholics and when he walked into his hotel room, he was armed with a deadly bottle of vodka.

He had bought it moments ago, not knowing whether he was actually going to drink it or not and he threw it on the bed as he took of his black jacket.

His body shook as he nervously rubbed his hands together and went over just what he was thinking when he had woken up this morning.

The best he could figure was that he was clearly not thinking straight and that he had let his heart rule his mind.

He wished he had managed to get out of the wedding without anyone seeing him, he wished Carla had just heard him out and most of all he wished that he hadn't hurt Simon so.

He still heard Simon's harsh but necessary and truthful words echo in his ear and the look on his son's face haunted him for hours on end.

With the image of his son saying that he hated him burnt into his memory, he sank hopelessly down onto the bed.

He looked at the bottle of vodka in disgust and as much as he tried to resist he reached over and picked it up.

He was moments away from opening it, when he saw his phone start buzzing on the table by the door that he had left it on.

Like a beacon, it dragged Peter away from the bottle of vodka and as he read the message on screen he knew he just couldn't go through with it.

He couldn't do this to Simon. He had to stay sober… no matter how low his life had got, he had to be a good father.

He quickly replied to the message, his fingers stumbling over the letters on his screen, as it seemed that maybe just maybe he was in for a second chance.

Once he had pressed send he prayed that he got the reply he was hoping for. He didn't know what he would have done if he didn't.

His phone suddenly held so much hope for him that he refused to put it down.

Not until he got what he wanted from it.

Luckily for Peter, he did.

He received a message that said Simon had agreed to see him tomorrow...

Ken had gone home with Leanne and Simon in the end and after a long and emotional conversation, he had convinced Simon to give his Dad another chance to explain.

Peter thanked his Dad over and over again for what he had done and couldn't believe he had even thought about opening that bottle of vodka.

He quickly picked it up and took it outside to the bins which were across from the hotel.

He returned to his hotel room and he sat and he thought about everything that had happened to him over this past day.

He sat down at the table and tried to make a plan for his future… for Simon and not Carla.

They were divorced.

She was married now, she was happy and she clearly didn't want anything to do with him anymore because if she had done she would have wanted to speak to him.

He told himself that time would help him heal... even though time hadn't been his friend so far and all time had done was make him believe that he and Carla maybe had a chance.

He told himself that one day he would get over her... that even though he felt like she was the other half of his soul, one day he would find somebody... he would find somebody that meant as much to him as Nick did to her.

He told himself that her absence from his life wouldn't attack him everyday and that one day he would wake up and not think of her first thing.

He spent ages trying to tell himself things, hours even and during that last hour he received and replied to another text message.

It was around three thirty am and dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing earlier, Peter left his hotel room.

He had grabbed his cigarettes and trusty lighter on the way out to calm his nerves and sat on the wall opposite his hotel so that he could have his smoke.

No one was around, the streets were eerily quiet as it was within the early hours of the morning.

The air was cold and the moon was full as Peter lit his cigarette and inhaled.

He thought about going back inside... he knew he was adding more salt to his wound and that standing out here was probably going to do more harm than good.

Maybe this wasn't going to happen.

Maybe he read it wrong.

Maybe he should just forget it.

He decided he would wait until he finished his fag and then give up. He couldn't wait too long... He didn't have it in him to wait for too long.

He shivered just as he was coming the end of his cigarette and it was by some miracle that he noticed someone approach him.

It was a woman.

A beautiful woman.

It was Carla.

Dressed casually in jeans, a white top and matching white converse, with her hair still tied up, in the same elegant way that it had been before at the wedding only of course it was a lot messier now.

He exhaled that last little bit of smoke and threw his cigarette butt onto the ground in shock.

She had one hand in her pocket as she walked towards him and as he stared at her in awe, she took a deep breath and said,

"Well…? I'm here..."


	6. The End

"I can't be long… I've left Nick fast asleep back at the hotel."

Those were the words Carla Tilsley couldn't believe she was uttering but it was true, Her brand new husband was fast asleep in the very same bed that they consummated their marriage in and now... now she was fifteen minutes down the road talking to a man, who she thought she'd never speak to again.

Hearing her voice for the first time again made Peter feel weak. He nodded at her as she stood before him and somehow, in her casual attire she looked more beautiful than ever.

Yes... even more beautiful than she did at the wedding... if that was even possible.

Her natural state seemed to make her more stunning and yet a lot more vulnerable.

"I… was really surprised to see your text." Peter began, getting up off the wall and meeting Carla by standing in front of her properly. "What made you change your mind?"

Believe it or not it was Carla who initiated this meet up. She had text Peter half an hour ago asking him if... no, more like telling him that she needed to see him.

Peter would have been lying if he said he wasn't nervous about what this conversation might bring and as Carla stood before him, he could see the look of anger beneath those bright green eyes.

He just wasn't sure exactly who she was angry at, herself or him.

"Simon…" Carla eventually began, looking at Peter up and down and trying to ignore the buried feelings that were suddenly surfacing.

He might have looked tired and completely beaten but he still looked good... better than good, he looked devastatingly handsome.

He still looked like the man of her dreams and it killed her.

"He told me you'd been drinking at the reception and I…" Carla paused, she swallowed hard as if she was trying to maintain her strong and collected composure, even though it was obvious that she was a right mess on the inside. "I had visions of you lying in the street somewhere… drunk out of your mind… or worse... I had visions of you being hurt... I just wanted to make sure that you weren't… For Simon's sake."

 _For Simon's sake._

Carla knew she wasn't fooling Peter for a single second, even after years apart they could still read each other like a book.

She felt totally on edge as she stood before her ex husband and all her instincts were telling her to leave, to run away screaming and never come back but for some reason her feet remained rooted to the spot.

"So…" She said, "Ave you been drinking then?"

"It was only the one." Peter began but Carla tutted and shook her head at him.

"But you can't just ave the one can ya Peter?" She cried, surprising them both.

Carla stopped for another second... she knew she was letting her emotions get the better of her and took a deep breath to try and regain some sort of control of the situation.

She then stared at Peter for a moment… She could tell that he truly was completely sober... that was calming her down at least.

"Well… its been hours later and I'm fine… As you can see." Peter lied.

As if he was fine.

As if this moment wasn't tearing him right apart and as if this dreaded day hadn't completely broken him.

There was a silence as they stood in the middle of the street opposite Peter's hotel. It was still fairly cold so Carla folded her arms as she shivered.

Peter watched her and wondered if maybe he should offer up his jacket but he knew that she'd say no.

The only mans jacket that she would be taking these days would be Nick's and thats the way it should be.

Peter still couldn't get over it, even though he had been there for the whole thing, even now after a few hours later, it still hasn't sunk in that Carla had married Nick.

He couldn't help but glance down at the huge diamond on her ring finger and Carla caught his gaze.

She watched him watch her left hand and she just couldn't help but say,

"Why did you come today Peter?... I know you told Michelle that you didn't know… But you must do Peter… There must be a reason."

"At the time… I didn't." Peter said, "I honestly didn't but now… Well... I've been thinking about it all night and I now know…"

"Well go on then… Enlighten me." Carla said quietly, siting down on the wall that Peter had just been sat on. Peter glanced around him foolishly for a moment and then sat down next to her, this was the closest they had been in years but neither one of them mentioned that of course.

"I had to come today... because I had to make my self realise what I did... and realise what I had lost."

"Because… You didn't realise beforehand or?..." Carla said dryly, shaking her head almost in confusion.

"No… I mean obviously I knew... but Carla if I'm honest with you… I've been living in a dream world since the divorce." Peter explained, "I've been stupidly fooling myself into believing that one day me n you could be something again and when I found out about you n Nick... I tried everything to make me think otherwise… Nothing worked Carla… I was driving myself insane… Your wedding was the only thing left… I thought that it was the only way that I could possibly gain some reality on this situation."

"And?" Carla asked, wondering if Peter had finally got it into his head that she was never going to be his again.

"As painful as it was… It worked." He admitted, "I saw how happy you were… I saw how much you n Nick love each other... It almost killed me but it worked."

Carla nodded slowly... She nodded because she didn't know what else to do or say.

She hadn't thought about Peter's feelings once during the divorce.

In fact she was with Nick when she had filed for divorce in the first place. He was the one who pushed her to do it.

Now... it wasn't because he had told her to divorce Peter but because Carla truly felt as if she could see a future with Nick.

She didn't want the time to come for Nick to propose and for her not to be able to say a proper yes to him because she was still married to Peter.

So she went ahead and filed for divorce. She wondered if Peter was going to make it difficult for her at first, she wondered if she would have received a phone call from him, begging her not to do it but she never did get that call.

Instead her solicitor called her to say that Peter had agreed to the divorce and things went as smoothly as they could possibly have gone.

At first she was angry... at first she couldn't understand how Peter hadn't kicked right off but after thinking about it some more she realised that it was probably for the best.

They had to see each other at the court date of course and they barley said two words to each other as their horribly interrupted marriage was ended, right in front of them.

They both knew that things shouldn't have ended up this way.

They both knew that they maybe should have fought a little more but neither one of them said anything… Neither one of them did anything to stop the judge from granting them their divorce.

Carla then went her way and Peter went his and the whole time, Carla told herself that if this wasn't what Peter wanted then he really would have said something.

He would have made it hard or begged her forgiveness but he didn't… so she assumed he was content with the divorce.

Well… as content as he could be of course.

The day after the divorce was finalised was the day Nick proposed.

Valentine's Day in fact and Carla said yes without even thinking twice and without even thinking about Peter once.

Some may say it was selfish but Carla made sure she didn't let herself think about Peter. She was allowed to be selfish, for once she thought only about her self and it felt incredibly good.

Six months later and now she was stood on a dark and cold street at three thirty am with the man she had tried so hard not to think about.

"Anyways…" Peter said, because it truly didn't seem as if Carla would be saying anything anytime soon. "I just want you to know that I didn't want you to see me… I really did try to get out of there without being seen."

Carla sat and thought about the look on Peter's face when she had finally realised that he had been at her wedding the whole time.

He didn't look like someone who wanted everyone to see him.

He didn't look smug or like someone who wanted attention.

He looked like someone who was completely and utterly heartbroken and that was why Carla said,

"I… believe you."

"and... the last thing I wanted was for Simon to see me there." Peter sighed regretfully.

Simon's harsh but necessary words still bounced back and forth in his mind as he sat next to Carla and he couldn't stop himself from letting a tear fall down his cheek.

"The crazy thing is that everything that kid said to me… well I totally deserved it." Peter then said sniffing. "I wouldn't blame him if he changes his mind about tomorrow… Or today it seems." Peter said looking down at his watch and seeing the time.

"Today? What's happening today?" Carla asked, trying not to start crying herself.

"Me Dad has somehow talked Simon into seeing me later… I wouldn't blame him if he didn't actually turn up though…" Peter watched Carla's sad expression and then shook his head at her. "Anyways... that's enough about me."

There was a long silence.

One that made Carla think that now she had the answers she needed... that maybe she had to go.

What she was doing wasn't right... it wasn't fair to Nick.

"I'm glad Simon's giving you a chance to explain yourself… Even after everything I know that he still loves you." Carla said, sighing deeply and wondering what on earth she was still doing sat on this wall with Peter. She got up and so did he.

"I hope so." Peter said hoarsely, knowing that his time with Carla was almost up.

"Me n Nick ave a flight to catch at nine so I'd better..." Carla began but she didn't finish, something made her stop talking and it was the lump in the back of her throat that did it.

"Oh..." Peter said, as if he had forgotten all about the fact that this was Carla's wedding night and that she would be on her honeymoon in a matter of hours. "Where you two going exactly?"

"Hawaii..." Carla said, it was somewhere that she had always wanted to visit and by chance so did Nick.

"Wow... I errr hope you ave... fun." Peter said awkwardly, wishing he hadn't asked at all now. The thought of Carla and Nick on a sandy beach in Hawaii made him ache and he knew the next week would be spent by him imagining all the things that they might do together.

"Thanks." Carla said just as awkwardly as Peter had spoken a moment ago.

There was a silence full of longing and desperate looks before Peter swallowed and said,

"I need to say something..."

"What?" Carla practically whispered, she prayed it wouldn't be something heartfelt, she prayed it was something trivial and petty because if he spilled his heart out to her anymore, she didn't think that she would be able to take it.

"You looked out of this world today."

"Don't." Carla snapped, tears forming instantly, anger rising quickly at Peter's words. "Don't you dare say things like that to me… You don't get to say those things to me... not anymore." She cried, tears running down her cheek off their own accord.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't say sorry either!" Carla almost shouted, "It's too late for apologies Peter… I love Nick... I'm married now."

"Yeah you don't ave to spell it out for me Carla… I was there remember." Peter said, almost rolling his eyes. "But hey, I guess it means you can't be mad at me anymore."

"What?" Carla exclaimed, almost laughing because if she didn't laugh she might end up throwing a punch instead.

"If I hadn't of cheated… You wouldn't be where you are right now… You wouldn't be married to Nick… So I guess I did you a favour." Peter said and he said it because in his own crazy way of thinking, it made sense.

He could tell by the outraged look on Carla's face that it was probably the wrong thing to say.

In fact it was the worst thing he could have said and it sent Carla in to a fit of rage.

"How the hell can you say that to me?" She cried, hitting him hard on the chest with a closed fist. "How can you stand in front of me and be so fucking stupid? Is that really what you think?" She didn't give him much of a chance to reply to her question because she shook her head and continued. "Y'know what Peter… You're right… If it weren't for you we would still be together… We'd still be married and we'd probably ave a baby girl right now!" Her words almost came out as a scream and Peter stepped back a little as what she had just said, hit home.

Just like Simon, everything that Carla said to him was necessary.

She was right and whilst Peter knew that he needed to hear all this, he still had to take a step back because being too close to Carla made him feel breathless and he desperately needed to get some air.

"She'd be about two by now and she'd probably have my eyes n your stupid grin." Carla sobbed, Peter did too.

How could he not?

How could he do anything other than cry when Carla was painting such a vivid picture of the future he had lost?

The future he had messed up and the future he would never… ever get back.

"I'm glad you came ere today Peter… I'm glad you saw how happy me n Nick are and I'm glad that you feel like this is your fault, because it is." Carla said bitterly.

"I dunno what you want me to say ere Carla… everything you've said to me is the truth." Peter said hopelessly, he watched her for a moment as she took a few deep breaths.

"I don't want you to say anything." She snapped, wiping her eyes and swallowing back the rest of her tears, deciding that Peter really wasn't worth them anymore.

As she wiped her eyes she caught a glimpse of her new wedding ring and it made her want to cry even more.

She couldn't help but think about Nick, lying there in their bed alone. She got worried about the fact that he might wake up with out her there and the image of him scrambling around their bed looking for her made the tears fall down again.

She suddenly became inconsolable. Her breaths were short as she covered her eyes with her hands.

"Carla… What is it?" Peter asked softly, moving towards her only to have her back away from him.

"Don't touch me!" She cried.

It was a few agonising minutes before Carla had managed to calm herself down.

"Look at me…" She sniffed in disgust, "I've snuck out of my hotel on my wedding night… I'm one step away from being you."

"No..." Peter said, shaking his head at Carla and raising a hand to wipe away her tears.

He was sure she would try to stop him from touching her again but she didn't this time. The moment his fingers touched her face, her eyes closed.

He gently brushed away the tears that lingered on her soft cheeks and she let him.

"You'll never be me Carla…" Peter almost whispered, he then removed his hand from her face as she opened her eyes.

"Why d'ya do it Peter?" She asked, even though they'd been through it before, she still couldn't understand why he had ruined what they had together because she truly thought that what they had was perfect. "We could ave been so happy together... Why did ya ave to destroy it? Why did you ave to destroy us?"

"I don't know…" Peter sighed, Carla sighed too and shook her head at Peter because his answer to her question was rather pathetic. "I don't know that man who cheated on you… I don't know him Carla… But what I do know is that you should never compare yourself to me... you'll never be that selfish."

"How do you know?" Carla asked quietly, confusing Peter and making his eyebrows furrow. She looked as if she was too scared to speak but she eventually gathered up the strength to continue. "Peter I get scared sometimes…"

"Scared... Of what?" He asked.

"I get scared that'll I'll hurt him n that I'll mess it all up… Maybe that's why I'm ere… Maybe I've come ere so that I can blame you for messing it up instead." Peter shook his head at Carla and moved towards her again.

"No... You came ere because you're a good person." He said, "You came ere because you wanted to check that I was okay and that's how I know you won't hurt Nick."

"No... It's too late... Look what I'm doing now eh. By coming ere I've already hurt him." Carla cried, the anguish on her face was too much for Peter to bear.

He couldn't let her do this to herself, he couldn't let her blame herself when he was the one who had spoilt her day.

"No. Carla I'm not letting you think this way. You being ere is not going to hurt Nick. Hell, I bet he's still fast asleep n none the wiser."

"And what if he's not?" Carla asked, distraught.

"Then tell him... tell him why you came ere and I am sure that he will understand." Peter said, Carla didn't look too convinced so he made sure that he continued. "Carla... I may ave been away for a long time but even I can see that that guy is crazy about you."

Carla smiled sadly at Peter and nodded her head because if there is one thing that she is sure of, it's that Nick loved her like mad and quite clearly... So did Peter.

"You really did mean everything to me Peter." Carla said, tears still brimming behind those green eyes of hers.

"I know…" Peter nodded, but not smugly, more in a regretful way. "I'm sorry for ruining your wedding day." He said, because even though he had asked Michelle to say it, he wanted Carla to hear it for herself. "Thank you for coming to speak to me… Thank you for letting me explain... But now you are going to wipe your eyes and go."

"Go?" She sniffed to which Peter nodded.

"Go on Carla… Go back to Nick." He said, knowing that keeping Carla stood in front of him for any longer was selfish and that even though it would be excruciating… he knew that it was time.

They both needed to move on.

There was no point in them dwelling on the past, things were well and truly over for Carla and Peter but it was just the beginning for Carla and Nick and Peter didn't want to do anything to spoil it.

"N what are you gonna do?" Carla asked tearfully, thinking about how on earth Peter could move on from this.

"Me?" Peter scoffed, shaking his head and grinning through his tears. "I'm going to go n get some kip because gate crashing a wedding really takes it out of ya."

Carla giggled as Peter spoke and even though she knew she shouldn't, she just couldn't stop her self from throwing her arms around him.

The sudden rush of Carla's embrace hit Peter hard and as he hugged her tight in tears himself he heard her say,

"Promise me you'll be okay."

"I promise." Peter said, taking in a deep breath and taking Carla in for the last time as well.

They stayed in their embrace for a while, both knowing that when they let go it would be the end.

"Good luck with Si." Carla said, bravely making the first move and pulling away from Peter slightly.

"Thanks…" Peter said and as Carla let go of him, her eyes closed absentmindedly as she placed both hands on his shoulders and kissed him lovingly on the cheek. He then left an equal kiss on her forehead before she moved away from him.

This was it.

It was time to go.

"Lets not say goodbye." Carla sniffed, "This isnt a goodbye... We'll see each other again one day... right?"

"Right." Peter nodded, "You aint getting rid of me that easily." He joked even though he felt like he needed another good cry.

She didn't let herself linger for too long. She didn't let her self stare and cry because she couldn't. She gave her eyes one more wipe and then began to walk away from Peter so that she could go back to Nick.

It didn't matter to Carla whether he was awake or not because she had decided that she was going to tell him about it anyway.

She wasn't afraid to tell him because Peter was right.

Nick would understand, he wouldn't be cross with her or kick off. He'd understand because he loved her.

It took all the strength Peter had inside for him not to run after her.

It took every ounce for him not to beg Carla to stay with him.

He let her go.

He let her go because he knew Nick would look after her.

He watched her cross the road and he smiled when she turned back for one last look.

It was a brave smile but it was one that he didn't have to put on.

It was one that showed that even though it would take a while... he really was going to be okay.

 _The End._

* * *

 ** _Thanks to all who read/reviewed._**

 ** _This was only supposed to be three chapters or so but me being me, I had to ramble on and make it six._**

 ** _I'm not sure if anyone wanted a Carla\Peter ending but I'm afraid it was always supposed to end this way._**

 ** _*Sighs*_**

 ** _Anywho… I should have a Dark Paradise update for you in the next few days & I have some new stuff in the works so keep your eyes peeled._**

 ** _Once again thanks to all of you & make sure you leave a review and let me know what you think._**


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